Baratie's Mystery
by Hanzatsu-Hime
Summary: Summary, and other necessary information, inside. To all my faithful readers who are unsure how to address me now. Worth the read. One-shot.


**_One Piece:  
_  
Baratie's Mystery**

* * *

**Pairing:** SanjixHanzatsu  
**Setting:** A/U -- the Baratie in a sort of High School rendition of One Piece  
**Reason for Writing:** To explain my name to my readers  
**Summary:** It has been one week since Sanji and Hanzatsu broke up: the reason being that they both have different kinds of fantasies that their partner cannot fulfill. One of the things that made them realize this was the day Hanzatsu got detention from Smoker and couldn't help but to admire his manly physic. Now, on the night shift during the Mother's Day weekend, Sanji and Hanzatsu have their first actual confrontation.

* * *

The weekend bargain Hanzatsu had with the head chef was officially terminated. Sighing soundlessly, she tossed her apron aside and exited the kitchen, a small bounce in her step. Now that the restaurant was closed, it was time to clean up. Part of her agreement with Zeff was to tidy the dining hall after the final guest closed the front door behind them. Watching the last couple to leave turn the corner outside the Baratie, the bandana-wearing navigator slid to the doors and pulled down the curtains. Once the sight of the clear, clean glass disappeared behind the beige fabric, she twirled on her toes, her hair flying behind her, to face the task ahead of her. However, to her surprise, she met the sight of Sanji, the second in command, already staking the chairs.

Now, after the break up between the two of them, Hanzatsu had done her best to lock away any feeling she had toward him in the depths of her heart. They had agreed that separation was the best bet with their relationship, seeing as how they both had fantasies and expectations that the other could never fulfill. It was something that was difficult, but reasonable, since love itself was nothing but a strenuous mess, especially among nakama. Using her dear sister Nami was an example, Hanzatsu knew methodically, she had made the right choice. Though no matter how many times she chanted that mantra to herself, her heart always chose to quarrel with her reasoning. So to see him, assisting her without the call to do so, was beginning to play with her heart strings; her love fluttered in the pit of her being, while her mind ached, putting up a fight to conquer. Hanzatsu herself was a complicated person, as she always had to win; what was she to do when different parts that made up who she was were trying to dominate her?

"…Sanji-kun, that's not necessary. I can clean up on my own." She spat out formally, ignoring his presence while she made her way to another table, at least ten steps away.

"It's fine, Hanzatsu-san," –how she loathed that suffix- "I'm used to doing this every night." With no other ground to base a solid protest upon, she accepted his aid and dealt with the mess she had chosen to clean. They worked in utter silence for what felt like an eternity to the water devil-fruit user. She hated silence as much as the word '-san'. Every little detail of her actions was emphasised in the noise free environment, and since cleaning up after anyone was not her forte, she became self-conscious of her tidying ability. Due to her caution, she ended up creating a sloppy pile of dishes on her arm. As she turned to walk away, she stubbed her open-aired toes on a chair leg, which not only caused her to curse, but to also lose her balance. Hearing the clatter of tableware, she responded immediately and slapped her hand over the tower in her hold. Luckily, she stopped any kind of destruction, but that hadn't stopped the blond-haired man from making his way to her side.

Looking up at him over her shoulder, seeing as how she couldn't move from her hermit-like position, she blushed furiously, "…Yes?"

"…Why don't I take that for you?" He offered kindly, but she could see the chuckle that chose to reside in his throat. Pouting angrily, she jumped upward, the layers of dishes still array, and turned her face away from him. "I don't need your help. I'm fine," –she suddenly remembered, '_You're suppose to be friendly with him._' –"But thank you for your—"

"How about you let me deal with all the dishes and cutlery, and you focus on the tablecloths and chairs?" His suggestion was definitely felt, as she had no desire to come within distance of the blasted sink. She took the time to cool her temper, then nodded to him slowly. He took the dishes from her carefully before heading back toward the table he had been working at.

"…Th-Thank you, Sanji…_-kun_." She began to wonder; did she now hate all honorifics?

"It's no trouble, Hanzatsu-san." Yes, she surely did. Wiping her hands on her uniform skirt, she listened to the sound of her heels against the floorboards while she made her way to his side. Once she reached his side, she gawked at him as he revealed a small pale-blue tub he had resting against a chair, the same tub she knew to hold dirty dishes. She felt like a child, all of a sudden. Trying to redeem herself, she gave her undivided attention the maroon fabric that covered the table before her and pulled it off the surface. She began to fold it, just as Chef Zeff had instructed her, and realized she had become more comfortable with where she was, seeing as how Sanji moved around more then she did and the sound of the clinking tableware was enough sound to soothe her.

"So how have you been?" he almost whispered his question as he collected wine glasses from the table behind her. She almost let a groan of annoyance slip through the crack between her lips, but composed herself, cleared her throat, then replied very kindly.

"I've been well. If you're wondering about my detention with Smoker, it's been fine. All I've done is the stereotypical student-punishment stuff, like clap erasers and mark random class' tests according to some answer sheet…and he's had Tashigi at his side every second." Hanzatsu added the last little bit, while flipping the chairs to rest on their matching surface, as a gift to him. He had been worried about her adoration to the well-toned Marine man. She decided on her own that it was only fair, in a moment of calm between the two of them, to wave her own kind of white-flag.

He took his time in responding, seeing as how he approached the tub, drop all that he held, then moved to the next table, before adding his two cents, "I see."

She dropped her shoulders, '_So much for being nice_.' Deciding that nothing could be worse then an awkward silence by this point, Hanzatsu continued her tale, even though she had nothing pre-planned, "I figure she's there 'cause I threatened to kill her in front of him. I was just joking, but it's Tashigi, so Smoker won't listen. I guess that's my next lesson: how to keep my big mouth shut. But I can't help it. I _am_ Hanzatsu," –he chuckled, she smiled- "after all. It's like a genetic thing."

His chuckle resounded more so, making a small giggle of her own match his. The atmosphere, feeling lighter, made her work more industriously. She took all tables to the left of her first, and then worked her way back to the right. Within half an hour, there were only two tables to finish off. She had to wait for Sanji to sweep away all the china first, so she rested her palm on the chair's heading.

"Oh, I forgot to ask how you were, Sanji-kun." I piped up, my index finger pointing at him, as if to make him take notice to my words.

"I've been working with Chef Zeff mostly. That shitty old geezer thinks I need to be whipped into shape again. He says I've become too soft." He growled as he emptied his armload into the tub again, but his look was definitely one of gentleness. Shifting past him, the caramel-haired navigator picked up her ninety-eighth cloth of the evening and began to fold it over.

"You, soft? No, you're more…kind-hearted then he expected. I guess-"

"Love makes one change." Was his blatant statement. Her fingers slowed in their actions, until they came to a stop. That was definitely not the comment she expected. More importantly, how was she supposed to answer him? All her feelings began to flutter, pressing her to jump at him and admit she agreed whole-heartedly. Again, the inner war raged. She grimaced, and as she tried to create a reasonable reply, she lost her chance the moment his hands made contact with the cuffs of her dress shirt. His fingertips toyed with her skin, enjoying the sensation that was the goose bumps rising on her flesh. Slowly, his thick fingers slipped under the fabric and traced the scratch marks from top to bottom.

"They seem to be scarring." She was thankful he hadn't said her name. However, she was still surprised by his sudden forwardness. He was certainly referring to the marks delivered to her by Eric the Whirlwind. She entertained the idea of arching away from him, but she was unsure of how he would react to such a thing. Therefore, she stayed still in his hold.

"They're fine-"

"Did you get Chopper to look at them?" He basically breathed, his hot, heavy breath, into her ear, through the strands of her hair.

"No. He doesn't need to." The feeling of his skin against hers, with their relationship trying to heal, was bothersome to her. She used her hands to rest atop of his and direct them out of her shirt. Respectfully, he did as she requested, but left his hands to cup her elbows. Hanzatsu almost balled her hands, but resisted the temptation.

"Do you miss me, Hanzatsu?" If he was removing the suffix, was there hope? Wait, what was she thinking? No, she had to ignore his unique scent tickling her nose, his tantalizing touch thrilling her senses and his voice quenching her hungry heart. He was Sanji, the playboy, he could get any girl now, now that their deal was broken. She needed relinquish all her desire for him, and soon!

"What's to miss? You're here right now, aren't you? And we have work to do, so—" She had tried to sound comfortable and cool, so not to hurt him anymore then she knew she had in the past, but he continued to overpower her. His index fingers traced the lining of her flimsy shirt, knowing quite well she would feel it to her hips.

"Do you miss my visits each night? Don't you miss being with me, and no one else?" He whispered the last part in her ear, almost as a special kind of Sanji-tease. He sounded as sexy as he always did when eh tempted her, and how badly her heart wanted her to submit to him. Thankfully, her wits kept her lively and level-headed.

"It's hard, yes, but I'm fine. Sanji, we really need to—" She nearly lost her breath as he spun her around, his arms now moulding to her shape as he embraced her waist line. He whispered what she made out to be, "One kiss." Then claimed her lips like he had the first time they ever kissed. His kiss, the one the ignited a fire within her stomach, actually made a moan spill through and into his mouth. He smirked against her, then lifted her onto the table. Now sitting on the edge, his palms ran over her curves until he reached her arse, then gently placed his hands over said place through her skirt. Now, her back curved, and ended up pressing her chest against his.

Her smooth hands flew onto his chest, within the move to push him away. However, he misinterpreted, and brought their bodies closer together. Feeling as though she finally accepted his display of love, he deepened the kiss, causing his action to seer with passion. She almost lost her mind to his loving feelings, as they travelled through her body like electrical waves. She was sure she was going insane, but she through all thoughts to the back of her mind and wrapped her arms around his neck forcefully. It was then she realized that never in all there time together had he ever kissed her in such a way that it sparked such a strong need for his touch and presence.

And so, they began to make-out. His hands roamed over her back, his thumbs stroking the skin just under her bra strap, as he brought himself closer by standing between her legs. Her skirt hiked up her thighs slightly, but she took no notice of it. Instead, she used her slim fingers to play with the hair at the base of his neck, something she knew caused pleasure to swirl within him. Like she predicted, his entire body shook under her light strokes, and he did not appreciate the pleasure only he was receiving. In a bold and raunchy act, he slowly dipped her body to rest on the table, causing him to smile again as he heard her inhale a gasp.

Her legs slid up the side of his waist, with almost enough leverage to wrap around him, while she tilted her head for him. The kiss the shared at that moment felt as though it lit their bodies on fire. The love they had been hiding from each other exploded between their lips, and as if in a silent agreement, they both mutually decided to start over, tossing away their fantasies to create new ones together. His heart almost soaring through his chest, Sanji let his lips trail down her jaw line, all the way to her neck, just like he always did to get a reaction out of her. He applied a great deal of force as he suckled on her soft skin. She squeaked, like he knew she would, and so, gave him the liberty to do so again.

With her head turned to the side, Hanzatsu did nothing but blush under his body. She couldn't explain what had come over her; all she knew was that she felt entirely safe under him, knowing he wouldn't do anything tonight to frighten her. She had also never felt her heart so light before. It was as if every time he laid a kiss on the tender skin of her neck, the action allowed her heart to beat. Hanzatsu could never tell how much Sanji had worked his way into her heart before. Now, she finally understood. She had half a mind to grant him the pleasure of hearing his name on her lips in a breathless, whole-hearted tone.

"Alright, that's enough! Don't dirty my tables with your smut!" A gruff, powerful voice broke the contact between the two Baratie employees. After a small pause, Sanji lifted himself off of his reinstated girlfriend in a flash. He almost looked like a soldier, reporting for duty, from her point of view on the table. She was way too embarrassed to move.

"Don't think so little of us. We wouldn't do something like that, shitty geezer."

"How am I supposed to know, with you teenagers and your wild hormones. You might as well have been doing it. I won't have you two turning my dining hall into a joy hall. Clean up, then walk her home, Eggplant. But you better come back her tonight." And Chef Zeff returned to the kitchen, fits of giggles being heard as he swung open the door.

The couple left behind remained still for a bit longer, then Sanji turned himself back around to face her. Hanzatsu lifted her mid-chest as she began to rise, but the thrill of his unique fingerprints against her cheek froze her to the wooden surface she still laid against.

"We wouldn't do something like that _here_, would we, Hanzatsu-hime?" Though she hated this nickname too, as it was part of their break-up fight, she smiled while leaning into his curved hand.

"Oh, keep dreaming little one." She laughed softly as he brought his body back down to kiss her. Both with a smile visibly drawn on their faces, their kiss was filled to the brim with the sweeter side of their hearts' desires. Her hands subconsciously rose to grip his suit's collar, just enough for him to notice her want to have him closer. His smiled grew to the point of no return, enough to make her do the same. He applied a few more seconds of force, causing slight friction between their lips, then slowly pulled back, looking into her eyes as he licked his lips. He watched her try to look aloof and roll her eyes, but the blush that arose was painstakingly obvious.

"Shall I escort you home, my dear?" He asked so nicely, but his hands still wandered over her sides as if they had a mind of their own. She hinted to him her intention of sitting upward, so he moved and gave her some space. Once she was sitting properly, she slowly placed her heels on the floor so she could lift her arse off the table. As soon as she was standing perfectly, she put on her innocent face and teased, "Oh please do. I might need your protection, Sanji-sama." Then, scurried away to finish her obligation to her boss. He took care of his half of the duties too, and they both made their way into the kitchen the moment they were both finished. The couple ignored all the snickering by such chefs as Patty and Carne, hung up their extra supplies, and exited the restaurant.

As he held the door open for her, Sanji grinned a bit mischievously, then said with contentment, "You know what's one of the things I love about tonight?"

"What?" Hanzatsu asked with three blinks, while she fastened the buttons on her coat and headed out the door.

Once he secured it closed behind him, he wrapped his arm around her waist, kissed the top of her head, then look up proudly as they began their stroll, "The table were kissing on is the one Beckman sits at every night."

* * *

**Author's Note:**

If you know that my One Piece O.C. is Hanzatsu, you know understand why my name is "Hanzatsu-hime". This isn't anything special, just something (hopefully) my readers will appreciate.

Blessed Be!


End file.
